The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
Bowling Green
Zips Battle Falcons on CBS Sports Network on Friday
January 08 | Men's Basketball
AKRON, Ohio - The Akron Zips battle the Bowling Green Falcons on Friday, January 9 at 8 p.m. for the 77th all-time meeting between the two schools.
Akron and Bowling Green can be viewed on CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan (PxP) and BJ Taylor (Analyst) on the call. Fans can listen to the action on the Akron Sports Radio Network on WHLO 640 AM with Dave Skoczen (PxP) and Joe Dunn (Analyst) on the call. Live stats are also available on GoZips.com/coverage.
Akron (11-4, 2-1 Mid-American) at Bowling Green (11-5, 2-2 Mid-American)
Friday, Jan. 9 – Stroh Center – Bowling Green, Ohio
8 pm ET – CBS Sports Network – WHLO 640 AM
HEAD COACHES
Akron: John Groce | Overall Record: 361-224 | At Akron: 179-92
Bowling Green: Todd Simon | Overall Record: 183-159 | At Bowling Green: 45-37
ALL-TIME SERIES
Akron Leads 48-28 | Groce vs Bowling Green: 15-9 Overall (12-3 at UA)
First Met: 1937-38 At Akron (Akron 52 - Bowling Green 29)
Last Met: Mar.13, 2025 In Cleveland (Akron 96 - Bowling Green 67)
At UA:27-10 | At BG:16-17 | Neutral: 5-1
Current Streak: W7
INSIDE THE SERIES
Friday's game marks the 77th meeting in series history between Akron and Bowling Green, and 25th meeting for a Groce coached squad. Akron holds an all-time 48-28 series advantage while
Groce is 15-9 against BGSU and 12-3 at Akron. The Zips have won 37 of the last 41 games against the Falcons.
Akron went 2-0 against BG last season, coming back from 13 points at Bowling Green to win 71-68 on January 3 while taking a 96-67 victory in the MAC Tournament on March 13 in the second meeting.
LAST TIME OUT (VS CENTRAL MICHIGAN 1/6/26)
AKRON, Ohio - Tavari Johnson cracked the top-10 for career assists after recording 10 against the Chippewas and became the eighth player in program history to record 1,000 points and 300 assists as the Blue and Gold took down Central Michigan 82-69 at James A. Rhodes Arena on Tuesday.
Johnson surpassed Joe Jakubick (1980-84) to rank 10th all-time in career assists with 305. Steve McNees (2007-11) is 9th all-time with 318 assists.
The Zips (11-4, 2-1) had four players score in double figures, led by Johnson, who recorded a double-double with 22 points and 10 assists. Shammah Scott added 19 points off the bench and Amani Lyles helped out with 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Evan Mahaffey rounded out the list with 10 points while adding five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Akron recorded it's 24th consecutive home win after defeating CMU.
Led by Eric Mahaffey's three offensive rebounds, Akron did a great job crashing the offensive glass, pulling down 11 boards that resulted in 14 second chance points.
The Akron defense was effective at taking away the basketball in Tuesday's game, forcing 17 Central Michigan turnovers. Those takeaways turned into 24 points on the other end of the floor. Lyles' four steals led the way individually for the Zips.
After jumping out to a 24-22 advantage, Akron went on an 8-0 run with 7:48 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Scott, to increase its lead to 32-22. The Zips then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered halftime with a 43-30 advantage. Akron did most of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 28 of its 43 points close to the basket.
Akron kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run, finished off by Johnson's three, to grow the lead to 67-49 with 8:37 to go in the contest. The Chippewas narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 82-69 win. Akron shot well from three-point range in the half, hitting seven shots from deep to score 21 of its 39 points.
LAST TIME AGAINST BOWLING GREEN (3/13/25)
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Akron men's basketball team advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament Semifinals after defeating Bowling Green 96-67 at Rocket Arena on Thursday.
With the 29-point margin of victory, Akron tied its MAC Tournament record for largest margin of victory. The last time Akron beat a team by 29 points was Central Michigan in the 2007 tournament. The Zips also set a new program MAC Tournament record for most 3-pointers made with 16 falling against the Falcons. Akron's previous high (14) was set against Northern Illinois in the 2015 tournament.
Six Zips put up double-digit points in the win. Akron was led by Bowen Hardman, who had 17 points. Seth Wilson added 15 points and two steals and Tavari Johnson chipped in as well with 14 points, seven assists and two steals.
James Okonkwo pulled down three offensive rebounds to lead the Akron offense which grabbed 10 boards and turned them into 13 second chance points.
The Akron defense caused its share of mistakes in Thursday's game, forcing 22 Bowling Green turnovers while committing nine. Those takeaways turned into 32 points on the other end of the floor. Sharron Young led the way individually for the Zips with four steals.
After jumping out to a 9-6 advantage, Akron went on a 9-0 run with 16:46 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Hardman, to increase its lead to 18-6. The Zips then maintained that lead and entered halftime with a 42-30 advantage. Akron relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down 11 shots to account for 33 of its 42 points.
Following the intermission, Akron kept widening that lead, expanding it to 77-49 before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Shammah Scott's layup, to grow the lead to 85-49 with 7:06 to go in the contest. The Falcons narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Zips still cruised the rest of the way for the 96-67 win. Akron took care of business in the paint, recording 30 of its 54 points in the lane.
ZIPS AT A GLANCE
Akron heads to Bowling Green to battle the Falcons on CBS Sports Network on Friday, January 9.
The Zips enter Friday's contest with an 11-4 overall record and a 2-1 record in the MAC.
Akron recently defeated Central Michigan at the JAR 82-69 on January 6. Tavari Johnson led the Zips in scoring (22) and assists (10) and entered the top-10 for career assists.
Akron is scoring 94.5 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 18.2 points per game. The Zips shoot .528 from the field while shooting .376 from beyond the arc and average 10.5 3-pointers per game. The Blue and Gold hold a .757 ft percentage while averaging 38.6 rebounds, 20.7 assists, 10.7 turnovers, 8.5 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.
Tavari Johnson leads the Zips in points (20.7) and assists (5.3). Amani Lyles leads the Blue and Gold in rebounds (6.7) while Evan Mahaffey leads the way in steals (1.9). Mahaffey and Lyles share the lead for total blocks (11).
Akron ranks in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (1st - 94.5), scoring margin (3rd - 18.2), fg pct (2nd - .528), fg pct defense (2nd - .420), 3pt pct (3rd - .376), 3pters made per game (2nd - 10.5), ft pct (3rd - .757), rebounds per game (2nd - 38.6), off rebounds (4th - 11.9), def rebounds (3rd. - 26.7), rebound margin (2nd - +5.6), turnover margin (2nd - +3.93), assist-turnover ratio (1st - +1.93), blocked shots (5th - 3.47), assists (1st - 20.67) and steals (2nd - 8.47).
The Zips rank 5th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+1.93), 6th in assists per game (20.7), 69th in bench points (29.4), 6th in effective fg pct (.607), 26th in fastbreak points (16.53), 3rd in fg pct (.528), 77th in fewest fouls per game (16.3), 58th in ft pct (.757), 77th in rebound margin (+5.5), 93rd in def rebounds (26.0), 89th in rebounds per game (38.53), 21st in scoring margin (+18.2), 5th in scoring offense (94.5), 65th in steals per game (8.5), 32nd in 3pt pct (.376), 25th in 3pters per game (10.5), 24th in turnover margin (+4.0), 48th in forced turnovers (14.73) and 73rd for fewest turnovers (10.7).
Individually, Evan Mahaffey ranks 23rd in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+3.5), 86th in total steals (28) and 94th in steals per game (1.87). Tavari Johnson ranks 56th in assist-turnover ratio (+2.86), 50th in total assists (80), 49th in assists per game (5.3), 66th in fg pct (.562), 10th in total made fg (118), 31st in ft pct (.905), 22nd in total points (310) and 26th in points per game (20.7). Amani Lyles ranks 32nd in fg pct (.599).
SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green enters Friday's contest with an 11-5 overall record and a 2-2 record in the MAC.
The Falcons are 6-3 on their home court while most recently falling on the road to Kent State on January 6, 96-93.
Over the course of the game, the lead changed hands 22 times with 17 ties along the way as well. In the end, Kent State pulled out a 96-93 final score despite Javontae Campbell's near double-double with 28 points, nine assists and six rebounds. Campbell was one of four Falcons to record double-figure scoring.
Campbell leads Bowling Green in scoring (18.3), assists (4.7) and steals (3.3). Sam Towns is the leader in rebounds (6.6) while Troy Glover II leads the way in total blocks (17).
Bowling Green is scoring 89.3 points per game while outscoring its opponents by 18.9 points per game. The Falcons shoot .499 from the field while shooting .345 from beyond the arc and average 7.5 3-pointers per game. BGSU holds a .748 ft percentage while averaging 36.2 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 11.6 turnovers, 12.1 steals and 3.2 blocks per game.
The Falcons rank in the top five in the MAC in scoring offense (4th - 89.3), scoring defense (2nd - 70.4), scoring margin (2nd - 18.9), fg pct (3rd - .499), fg pct defense (3rd - .431), opp rebounds (3rd - 31.9), rebound margin (5th - +4.3), turnover margin (1st - +6.94), assist-turnover ratio (4th - +1.42), assists (5th - 16.44) and steals (1st - 12.13).
Bowling Green ranks 86th in the NCAA in assist-turnover ratio (+2.11), 75th in assists per game (16.4), 58th in bench points (30.75), 52nd in effective fg pct (.559), 5th in fastbreak points (19.19), 27th in fg pct (.499), 31st in ft attempts (25.8),88th in ft pct (.748), 25th in ft made per game (19.3), 17th in scoring margin (18.9), 20th in scoring offense (89.3), 1st in steals per game (12.1), 3rd in turnover margin (+6.9) and 2nd in forced turnovers per game (18.5).
Individually, Javontae Campbell ranks 69th in the NCAA in total assists (75), 95th in assists per game, 66th in made fg (96), 18th in ft attempts (118), 14th in made ft (94), 41st in total points (293), 68th in points per game (18.3), 2nd in total steals (53) and 2nd in steals per game (3.31).
ON THE ROAD
Akron is 1-2 in road contest this season, falling to No. 2/1 Purdue and (RV) Miami (OH) while defeating Tulane.
The Zips were 8-4 on the road in 2024-25.
AKRON IN THE MAC
Akron is 84-27 since the 2019-20 season in MAC play, owning the highest winning percentage (.757) in the league. The Zips are 70-24 in the MAC under the new conference format without divisions (new in 2020-21). Akron is 111-28 (.798) at home in league play since the start of the 2011 MAC schedule. UA has seen a ton of success in league play since the start of the 2004-05 season, and is 253-110 overall (.697), including a 153-32 mark in MAC play at home (.827). The Zips' 253 wins are the most in the league during that stretch. The Zips have won 168 of their last 254 MAC games (.661).
TOP 10 FOR ASSISTS AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson entered the top 10 for career assists with 10 assists against CMU (Jan. 6) to rank 10th all-time. Standing with 305, Johnson needs 14 assists to pass Steve McNees (2007-11), who is 9th all-time with 318 assists.
1K SCORING AND CLIMBING
Tavari Johnson recorded his 1,000th career point wearing the Akron Blue and Gold against Concord on Dec. 29, 2025 with a 28 point performance. He became the 50th player in program history to record 1k points.
Johnson, who stands at 1,044 points, currently ranks as the 46th highest scorer in program history.
1K POINTS, 300 ASSISTS
Tavari Johnson stands at 1,044 points and 305 assists in his time at Akron. He became the first player since Loren Cristian Jackson to record 1k points and at least 300 assists in his career as a Zip and just the eighth player all-time.
HIGH OCTANE OFFENSE
One of the nation's top scoring team's, Akron ranks in the top 10 in scoring offense (5th - 95.4). The Zips are 10-2 this season when scoring 85 or more points. The most recent game this season to feature 85 or more points was 115 against Concord on Dec. 29.
Akron scored 85 or more points in 19 games in 2024-25, were 19-0 when hitting that mark and finished ranked No.8 in the nation in scoring offense (84.0).
Under John Groce, Akron is 61-5 (.924) when scoring 85 or more points.
DISHING OUT DIMES
Ranking in the top 10 in assists per game in the NCAA (6th - 20.7), the Zips aren't afraid to share the rock. Akron has recorded 20 or more assists in eight games with a season high 32 coming against PSU Shenango (Nov. 12). The most recent game with 20+ assists was against Central Michigan (22) on Jan.6.
The Zips are 8-0 this season when recording 20 or more assists and 35-0 with John Groce leading the Blue and Gold.
Akron is also one of the top teams in the country when it comes to assist-turnover ratio, ranking no. 5 (+1.93).
The Zips ranked 4th in the nation in assists per game (17.7) last season. The Blue and Gold recorded 20 or more assists in 15 games with a season high 28 coming against Ohio Wesleyan (11/8/24).
THE SENIOR CLASS: A WHOLE LOT OF WINNING
Akron's senior class has seen a great deal of success wearing the Blue and Gold. Since the 2022-23 season, the Zips have gone 85-33 (.720) overall and 45-12 (.789) in the MAC. Akron has also claimed the MAC Regular Season Title (2025) and MAC Tournament Title (2024+25) in that span as well.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Akron returns to James A. Rhodes Arena for a pair of games next week with Ball State coming to town on Tuesday, January 13.
